We knew her when …

Talk about a zealous volunteer.

Anna Cole, who police say was a supporter of Shreveport City Council District E candidate John Albritton, allegedly yelled at supporters of opponent Ron Webb and tried to hit them with her car. She brushed a 17-year-old girl but didn’t seriously hurt her.

I had talked to Cole on several occasions prior to her alleged election day fiasco. In early September she was already voicing her, um, distaste for Webb.

She told me she was upset about a campaign flyer she had received from Webb listing endorsements from high-profile public officials and business owners. She said she called several of them to verify the endorsements and was told Webb used their names without permission.

“The thing about it, most people don’t even get involved. They’ll look at it and say, ‘Oh, my goodness. Look at all these important people backing this man,’” Cole told me then. “It’s just dishonest.”

Referring to herself as Rosa Parks (actually, “that woman on the bus”), Cole said, “I’m not going to be afraid. I am a citizen and this is wrong. … I’m going to stand up for what I think is right.”
When I called the same people Cole called to verify the endorsements – and several others on the list – I heard a different story.

One business owner said Cole called him three times, “ranting” 30 minutes on each occasion. He sent me an email when she was booked for aggravated battery and charged with making harassing phone calls to Webb before the election. I wonder who Cole is going to support Nov. 7?